WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Gen. CQ Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, putting him in place to succeed Gen. Mark Milley when he retires at the end of the month.
Brown's confirmation on a 83-11 vote, months after President Joe Biden nominated him for the post, comes as Democrats try to maneuver around by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville over the Pentagon's abortion policy. The Senate is also expected to confirm to be Army Chief of Staff and as commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps this week.
Tuberville has been blocking the Senate from the routine process of approving military nominations in groups, frustrating Democrats who had said they would not go through the time-consuming process of bringing up individual nominations for a vote. More than 300 nominees are still stalled amid Tuberville's blockade, and confirming them one-by-one would take months.
But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reversed course on Wednesday and moved to force votes on Brown, George and Smith.
鈥淪enator Tuberville is forcing us to face his obstruction head on,鈥 Schumer said. 鈥淚 want to make clear to my Republican colleagues 鈥 this cannot continue.鈥
Tuberville did not object to the confirmation votes, saying he will maintain his holds but is fine with bringing up nominations individually for roll call votes.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that Brown鈥檚 confirmation, along with expected votes on Smith and George, is positive news. But 鈥渨e should have never been in this position,鈥 he said.
鈥淲hile good for these three officers, it doesn鈥檛 fix the problem or provide a path forward for the 316 other general and flag officers that are held up by this ridiculous hold,鈥 Kirby told reporters.
Brown, a career fighter pilot, was the Air Force鈥檚 first Black commander of the Pacific Air Forces and most recently its first Black chief of staff, making him the first African American to lead any of the military branches. His confirmation will also mark the first time the Pentagon鈥檚 top two posts were held by African Americans, with as the top civilian leader.
In a statement late Wednesday, Austin said Brown would be a 鈥渢remendous leader" as the new chairman.
Brown, 60, replaces Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley, who is retiring after four decades in military service. Milley's four-year term as chairman ends on Sept. 30.
Tuberville said on Wednesday that he will continue to hold up the other nominations unless the Pentagon ends its policy of paying for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. The Biden administration instituted the policy after the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion and some states have limited or banned the procedure.
鈥淟et鈥檚 do one at a time or change the policy back,鈥 Tuberville said after Schumer put the three nominations up for a vote. 鈥淟et鈥檚 vote on it.鈥
In an effort to force Tuberville鈥檚 hand, Democrats had said they would not bring up the most senior nominees while the others were still stalled. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an old saying in the military, leave no one behind,鈥 Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed said in July.
But in a frustrated speech on the Senate floor, Schumer said Wednesday he was left with no other choice.
鈥淪enator Tuberville is using them as pawns,鈥 Schumer said of the nominees.
The votes come as a host of military officers have spoken out about the for service members. While Tuberville's holds are focused on all general and flag officers, they carry career impacts on the military鈥檚 younger rising officers. Until each general or admiral is confirmed, it blocks an opportunity for a more junior officer to rise.
That affects pay, retirement, lifestyle and future assignments 鈥 and in some fields where the private sector will pay more, it becomes harder to convince those highly trained young leaders to stay.
鈥淪enator Tuberville鈥檚 continued hold on hundreds of our nation鈥檚 military leaders endangers our national security and military readiness. It is well past time to confirm the over 300 other military nominees,鈥 Austin said, noting he would "continue to personally engage with members of Congress in both parties until all of these well-qualified, apolitical officers are confirmed.鈥
Tuberville said he has not talked to Austin since July about the holds.
The blockade has frustrated members on both sides of the aisle, and it is still unclear how the larger standoff will be resolved. Schumer did not say if he will put additional nominations on the floor.
The monthslong holds have devolved into a convoluted procedural back and forth in recent days.
Tuberville claimed victory after Schumer鈥檚 move, even though the Pentagon policy remains unchanged.
鈥淲e called them out, and they blinked,鈥 he told reporters of Schumer.
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Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.
